Ladies&#39; handbags



Al1g- 23, 1960 M. scHoEN 2,949,951

LADIES' HANDBAGS Filed Feb. 25, 195e INVENTOR. MdR/TZ ICA/05N ilnitenitates LADES HANDBAG-S Moritz Schoen, 240 W. 102ml St., New York 25, N.Y.

Filed Feb. 25, 1958, Ser. No. '717,444

4 Claims. (Cl. 15G-28) This invention relates to ladies handbags andsimilar carrying cases.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide means contributingto a very sturdy and practical handbag or carrying structure which isprovided with a plurality of compartmental sections, with a top covertherefor, and with a handle the latter forming simultaneously pivotmeans about which the compartmental sections may be swung into open andclosed positions, respectively, said handle further supporting lockingmeans for maintaining said structure in closed position.

It is another object of the invention to provide means facilitatingopening and closing of the aforesaid compartmental sections only uponlifting of the cover and upon its release from said locking means,whereby the hand of a person may always remain in engagement with thehandle of the carrying structure.

Yet a further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof means for moving the compartmental sections of the carrying structurein opposed directions, thereby overcoming the action of interengageablemeans provided thereon, which automatically adjust and maintain saidcompartmental sections in superposed position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means envisioningthe accommodation `of variously shaped objects in compartmental sectionsof corresponding dimensions in a carrying case or handbag.

The above and other objects of the invention will become furtherapparent from the following detailed description, reference being made-to the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred embodiment of ltheinvention.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein illustrative embodiments of theinvention are shown,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a handbag made in accordance with thepresent invention, parts being shown in phantom lines;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional -view taken along lines 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a modified embodiment according tothe invention;

Fig. 5 illustrates a fragmentary and top plan view of a detail.

Referring now more particularly to `the drawing, there is disclosed arectangular-shaped handbag or carrying case having a hollow base 11 anda closure cover 12. Case 10 has further compartmental sections 13 and 14on one side of a handle structure and a further compartmental section 16on an opposite side of the handle structure.

As more clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the handle 15 is U- orbail-shaped at 17 and comprises two downwardly extending legs 13 and 19,which are fixed in position in the lower compartmental section 11. Tothis end, the lower compartment 11 has corner blocks or holders 20,

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21 with bores or openings into which screw elements 22, 23 extend as tofirmly engage the ends of said legs 18, 19 to thereby retain same incertain corners of said cornpartment.

Similar holders forming guides 20a, 21a and 2Gb, 21h for legs 18, 19 areprovided in the respective corners of sections 13, 14 as well as ofsection 16 (at 20c) seen in Figs. 3 and 5.

As can be visualized from Fig. 1, legs 18, 19 extend diagonally acrossthe longitudinal median line of the carrying case 10.

The cover 12 of the case 10 is of reduced thickness and is provided withopenings 15a, 15b whereby the cover may be lifted along legs 18, 19 to aposition as shown in phantom lines at 12a (Fig. 2).

As will be further seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the underface of cover 12 isprovided with two separate downwardly projecting rims 22, 23 so arrangedand dimensioned that when cover 12 engages the upper surface ofcompartmental sections 13 and 16, cover 12 will project with its rims22, 23 thereinto and will thus be centered thereon. Likewise the outersurface of bottom 24 of compartment 13 is provided with a lower rimprojection 25, which projects into the compartment 14 and engages theinner surface of its upright walls deiining said compartment 14, whereassection 14 is provided at the outer surface of bottom 26 thereof with adownwardly projecting rim 27 for engagement with the adjacent wallsurfaces of compartment 11, whereby the carrying case with itscompartmental sections will be arranged in closed position.

Compartment 16 has also a downwardly projecting circumferential rim 2Sat its lower bottom surface as seen.

The aforesaid sections 13, 14 and 16 and l1 may therefore be brought inaligned engagement and position to each other, as shown in Figs. l and2, whereby cover 12 closes on the case.

Bail-shaped part 17 of handle 15 carries a locking member 3l) providedwith a loop 29 adapted to swing around handle 15 in accordance witharrow 31. Cover 12, in this instance, is provided with a friction metalor like plate 32 with which the rounded end 33 of element 3l) may bebrought in frictional engagement, when element 30 is moved in adirection opposite to that of arrow 31.

It now 'becomes clear that compartment 13, after unlocking element 30from friction plate 32, and after cover 12 has been slightly lifted, maybe swung out from its closed position in the direction of arrow 35 aboutthe respective pivot or leg 18 to a position, as indicated in phantomlines in Fig. 1. Likewise compartment 16 may be swung about pivot 19from its rest position according to arrow 36 to a position shown inphantom lines in Fig. l. Rim projections 25 and 2S of compartments 13and 16 easily overcome, respectively, the abutting engagement with therespective upright walls of compartments 14 and 11, as is wellunderstood.

It is quite apparent that instead of a rim-shaped projectionofrelatively minute height and integral with the respective bottomunderface of the cover and the respective bottom underface of therespective sections other means can be used, such as angularly extendingledges made of rubber or other material attached to such underfaces, ashereinabove referred to.

lt will be further recognized in particular from Fig. 5, that theaforesaid holder means for the respective legs or pivot rods 18, '19extend through corresponding bores` or openings provided in respectivecorners of the rec tangular-shaped sections of case 10 although it iswell understood that such case may also assume round or oval shapes.

The material of which the carrying case may be made is wood, heavycardboard with leather covering, plastic or plastic combination, whichmay be transparent or translucent.

Since the pivot rods 18, 19 arecompletely accommodated within. theinterior of the case .and onlythe U-shaped bail 17extendstherebeyond.formingthehandle l5, the carrying case or handbag hasotherwise a completely smooth outensur-face, notobstructedby kany hingesor accessories to operatenhe carrying case to open and closedpositions.v

Fig. 4 shows a somewhat modified embodiment .of a carrying case `a inwhich the lower. or base section 11, the upper compartmental sectionsA'13, 14 andk `16 are the same as in Fig. l. The handle in thisrcase hasa weighted, swingable locking element. 30 which cooperates with twovplate halves. 32b and 32C, respectively, mounted on cover halves 12b.and 12C, which are swingable to phantom line positions about respectivepivots or legs 1S, 19, as seenin Fig. 4. Upon moving element 3o contraryto the direction of arrow 31 disengagement of end 33 of element 30 maybe had from plate portion 32s to facilitate swinging of upper cover half12C in the direction of arrow 35 thereby assuming the phantom lineposition of Fig. 4.

Likewise, if desired, -the element 30 may be further swung upwardly todisassociate the engaging surface 33 from friction plate 3 2b to therebypermit cover half plate 12b to be swung about leg 1S in the direction ofarrow 3o to open position, as indicated in phantom lines.

As can be seen from Figs. l and 4, the legs 18, 19 extend from thegripping portion of handle 1S downwardly and at oppositey sides of thetransverse median axis of the case 10 or 10a. The handle part 17 properthus extends across said median line or axis of the elongated body ofwhich section 11 forms the hollow base.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided, in -accordance withthe invention, a carrying case, which may form a handbag, comprising anelongated body provided with a stationary lengthy base section having abottom and upright Walls connected thereto bounding the hollow interiorof said base section, said walls terminating in an upper end, aplurality of swingable compartmental sections arranged at opposedrelation to each other and in superposed position on the upper end ofsaid stationary base section, each compartmental section having a bottomand upright walls extending from said bottom to define the interior ofthe respective compartmental section, projecting means located at the-underiace of the bottom of each swingable compartmental section andengaging at least a portion Iof the inner surfaces of said upright wallsof the respective section therebelow when -in said superposed position,cover means on top of the uppermost swingable compartmental sections,U-shaped handle means terminating in spaced apart upright legs, saidcompartmental sections being disposed at opposite sides of a transversemedian axis of said elongated body, said U-shaped handle means extendingacross said transverse median axis and above said cover means, therespective upright legs of said handle means extending through saidcompartmental sections disposed at said opposite sides of said axis. M

The respective upright legs are aflixed within the interior of said basesection and retaining means are located in the compartmental sectionsfor supporting said legs, said legs forming pivot means for facilitatingswinging said compartmental sections from said superposed position to aposition away from said base section, thereby overcoming the engagementof said projecting means, respectively, with said inner surfaces of therespective section located therebelow. The aforesaid projecting meansfacilitate alignment ot said movable or `swi'ngable sections whenreturned to their respective superposed position. i

Various changes and modiiications-may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and itis intended that suchobvious changes and modiiications be embraced by `the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A handbag and like carrying case comprising a body provided with ahollow base section having an open upper end, a plurality ofcompartmental sections arranged in superposed position to said basesection, each compartmental section having a bottom and upright wallsextending From said bottom and dening the interior of the respectivecompartmental section, projecting means located at the underface. of thebottom of each compartmental section, whereby said projecting meansengage at least somel of said upright walls at their inner surfaces insaid superposed position of said sections, cover means positionable onthe top of the uppermost compartmental sections, U-shaped handle meansterminating in spaced apart legs passing through corresponding openingsprovided in said cover means, holder means for said legs located inpredetermined corners of said compartmental sections, said holder meansbeing provided with `bores to `guide said legs therein, which extendfrom said base section to said cover means, and means anchoring saidlegs of said handle means on said holder means.

2. A handbag and like carry-ing case comprising a body provided with abase section having a hollow interior terminating in an open upper end,a plurality of compartmental sections arranged at opposed relation toeach other and in superposed position on the upper end of said basesection, each compartmental section having a bottom and upright wallsextending from said bottom and defining the interior ot the respectivecompartmental section, projecting means located at the underface of thebottom of each compartmental section, whereby said projecting meansengage at least some of the inner surfaces of said upright walls in saidsuperposed position of said sections, cover means positionable on thetop of said compartmental sections, horizontally extending U-shapedhandle means terminating in spaced apart upright leg one of said legsextending through the interior of said sections located at one side ofthe median line passing through said base section, the other leg passingat an opposite side of the median line of said base section, said handlemeans being positioned above said cover means and being anchored throughits legs in the interior of Said base section and holder means for saidlegs located in said `compartmental sections, said holder means beingprovided with bores through which said legs extend from said cover meansto said Ibase section.

3. A carrying case constituting a handbag; comprising an elongated bodyprovided with a stationary lengthy base section having a bottom andupright walls connected thereto bounding the hollow interior of saidbase section, said walls terminating in an upper end, a plurality ofswingable compartmental sections arranged at opposed relation to eachother and in superposed position on the upper end of said stationarybase section, each compartmental section having -a bottom and uprightwalls extending from said bottom to deiine the interior of therespective compartmental sect-ion, projecting means located at theunderface of the bottom of each swingable compartmental section andengaging at least a portion of the inner surfaces of said upright wallsof the respective section therebelow when in said superposed position,cover means on top of the uppermost swingable compartmental sections,U-shaped handle means terminating in spaced apart upright legs, saidcompartmental sections being disposed at opposite sides of a transversemedian axis of said elongated body, said U-shaped handle means extendingacross said transverse median `axis and above said cover means, therespective upright legs of said handle means extending through saidcompartmental sections disposed at said opposite sides of said axis andbeing aiixed Within the interior of said b-ase section, means located inthe compartmental sections for supporting said legs, said legs formingpivot means for facilitating swinging said compartmental sections fromsaid superposed position to a position away from said base section,thereby overcoming the engagement of said projecting means,respectively, with said inner surfaces of the respective section locatedtherebelow, and means pivoted on said U-shaped handle means andextending to said cover means -for locking and unlocking the latter withrespect to said uppermost swingable compartmental sections.

4. A carrying case constituting a handbag; comprising an elongated lbodyprovided with a stationary lengthy base section having upright wallsterminating in an upper end and defining the hollow interior of saidbase section, a plurality of swingable compartmental sections arrangedin superposed position on Ithe upper end of said stationary basesection, each compartmental section having a bottom and upright wallsextending from said bottom to dene the interior of the respectivecompartmental section, aligning means connected to the underface of thebottom of each swingable compartmental section and recessed from theperiphery of the latter for engaging the inner surfaces of said uprightWalls of the respective section when disposed in said superposedposition, inverted U- shaped handle means positioned above saidcompartmental sections and provided with spaced apart upright legs, saidcompartmental sections retaining for swinging movement theretorespective upright legs projecting through said compartmental sections,said legs being axed within the interior of said 'base section, meanslocated in the compartmental sections for retaining said legs forfacilitating swinging said compartmental sections `from said superposedposition to a position away from said base section, thereby overcomingthe engagement of said aligning means, respectively, with said innersurfaces `of the respective section, and locking means operativelyconnected to said U-shaped handle means and adapted in one operableposition to maintain said compartmental sections in said superposedposition and in another operable position to release said compartmentalsections :for facilitating swinging the latter away from said basesection.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,575,906 Frey Mar. 9, 1926 1,600,830 Lewis Sept. 2'1, 1926 2,775,498Gettel Dec. 25, 1,956

FOREIGN PATENTS 874,904 France May 26, 1942.

